How to bake polymer clay: temperature, time and tips
Polymer clay doesn't harden in the air, only in the oven. With the right temperature and baking time your creations turn out sturdy and keep their colours. An adult always does the baking.
- in a preheated electric oven
- 110–130 °C
- baking time per 6 mm of thickness
- 10–15 min
- recommended from age 8
- 8+
How to bake polymer clay, step by step
Preheat the oven
Set a regular electric oven to 110–130 °C and wait until it is fully up to temperature. Never go above 130 °C.
Place your creations on a safe surface
Use baking paper, a ceramic tile or aluminium foil. Don't put the clay directly on the metal baking tray.
Bake by thickness
Allow 10–15 minutes per 6 mm of thickness, based on the thickest part of your creation.
Let in fresh air
Open a window or switch on the cooker hood while baking.
Let it cool slowly
Put the creations on a heat-resistant surface and let them cool by themselves, not in cold water. The clay is only fully hard once it has cooled completely.
How long does polymer clay need in the oven?
Baking time depends on thickness. Measure the thickest part and use these times at 110–130 °C:
| Thickest part | Baking time |
|---|---|
| up to 6 mm | 10–15 minutes |
| 12 mm | 20–30 minutes |
| 18 mm | 30–45 minutes |
Best avoided
- No air fryer and never the microwave: a regular electric oven only.
- Don't go hotter than 130 °C, not even to save time.
- Don't put clay directly on the metal baking tray.
- Don't cool warm creations in cold water.
- Children leave the oven work to an adult.
When it doesn't go to plan
Still soft straight out of the oven?
That's normal. Polymer clay only becomes fully hard as it cools. Let it cool completely before you test or bend it.
Crumbly or breaks easily?
Often the baking time was too short for the thickness. Check the thickest part and allow 10–15 minutes per 6 mm.
Brown or discoloured?
The oven was probably too hot. Stay between 110 and 130 °C. The dial doesn't always match the real temperature; an oven thermometer helps.
These temperatures and times apply to the clay in the Craftiverse Polymer Clay Kit and come from our supplier. Using clay from another brand? Always follow the instructions on that packaging.
Frequently asked questions about baking clay
Yes. Polymer clay is oven-bake clay: it doesn't air-dry and stays soft until you bake it.
At 110–130 °C in a preheated electric oven. Never go above 130 °C.
10–15 minutes per 6 mm of thickness. A small figure up to 6 mm thick takes 10–15 minutes; a part 12 mm thick takes 20–30 minutes.
No. Only bake polymer clay in a regular electric oven, never in an air fryer or microwave.
Baking paper, a ceramic tile or aluminium foil. Not directly on the metal baking tray.
No, an adult does the oven work. Modelling itself is recommended from age 8, with supervision. The kit is not suitable for children under 3.
Preheat, stay below 130 °C, don't put the clay directly on metal and let in fresh air with an open window or the cooker hood.
Well sealed, somewhere cool and out of direct sunlight.
Polymer Clay Kit – 82 Colours
€54.95incl. VAT
82 colours of oven-bake clay, a work mat, a roller, sculpting tools and keyring parts in a storage box. Recommended from age 8; an adult does the baking.